Ted Barraclough has carved and whittled for as long as he can remember however it was in retirement that Barraclough began carving and painting this series of native Australian birds.

In his essay for this book Glenn Barkley (curator Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney) writes: "I feel that although there may be those artists whose feather counts might be more correct, and whose realism is more exact, this has little to do with what ‘art’ might be. And the lack of emphasis on craft runs counter to a hyper over-skilling and this is what makes Barraclough’s birds so good ... Ted Barraclough is a modern day Gepetto, bringing the timber to life as if only he can hear a sound within it and find its natural form".

This 440 page hardcover book contains 253 beautiful full colour photographs of Barraclough's birds capturing the passionate skill of the artist and the imbued personality of his creations.